‘Dead Island’ Screenshots Introduce Sam B, the Tank Class

New screenshots and some info have released introducing Sam B, one of the playable characters in Techland’s upcoming first person melee title Dead Island. Though he might not be one of the characters seen in the emotionally stirring first trailer, Sam B has a back-story all his own and will be perfect for players who like to get knee deep in zombie action.

Fulfilling the role of the “tank” in Dead Island, Sam B is a one-hit-wonder rap star that just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. From the screens, though, you can see that Sam adapts nicely to his current predicament — procuring Molotov cocktails and utilizing a bat with nails attached to the head.

Gamers who might be wondering if Sam is just one in a long line of caricatures in Dead Island needn’t worry, as our interview with Deep Silver revealed that Sam is the least serious of the playable characters. He may deliver one-liners and be somewhat of a stereotype, but that doesn’t mean Sam is any less capable of hacking apart some zombies.

Like a mix between Left 4 Deadand Dead Rising (both of which ironically also have “dead” in the title), Dead Island is a survival horror title that tries to throw a large group of zombies at the player. However, what makes Dead Island different from those titles is its melee combat emphasis. As players explore the once lush and tropical grounds of the Royal Palms Resort Hotel, they will find themselves using much more crude tools than those intricate gadgets seen in the Dead Rising games.

Check out some of the weapons Sam B uses to fight of the zombie horde in the screenshots below, but be warned they are taken from an M-rated game:

While the first trailer might have started gamers off on the wrong foot, further looks at the game indicate the core idea of brutally dispatching zombies is still intact. Whether it is with Sam B or one of the other yet unrevealed character classes, players will able to feel the visceral carnage of taking down waves of the undead as they make their way off a very dead island.

What do you think of Sam B, the “tank” class in Dead Island? What are your thoughts on the game after having seen screenshots of the gameplay?

Dead Island is scheduled to release towards the end of 2011 on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

2 Comments

Wondering how the class system (if there’s one in place) will work. Doesn’t seem like anyone would want to be the one to take up all the attention of the zombies while the others are just hitting them while distracted.